Blood Red
by BlackRozes
Summary: Sesshoumaru, after the final battle, watches Kagome visit her family for the last time. When she returns, he leaves her to restart her life alone, even when he's in love with her.


Blood Red

BlackRozes

If you're reading this, I'm pretty sure you know I don't own Inuyasha.

Italics are the hidden or double meanings behind what they say. I believe that everything has a hidden and/or double meaning. .

Sesshoumaru stood watching her appear from the depths of the well. She had tears running down her face as she turned to face the well. In her hands was a yellow scroll with the word 'seal' written in blood. As a result of her being from another time, she had to seal the well if she was to stay, and she had to stay. The Shikon had reacted violently every time she stayed in the future past an hour. He felt her pain, and he wanted to hold her, but resisted the impulse. He couldn't really comprehend why he was feeling this way. He wondered why he was standing there waiting for her at all.

Kagome placed the scroll on the well, and then turned to Sesshoumaru, who she knew was waiting. The well glowed pink before the light faded. She stifled a sob as she tried to stop her tears. As they stood facing each other, her tears slowed down to a trickle before they stopped.

"Sesshoumaru." She wasn't sure when it was when she had completely fallen for him. Was it after the final battle, when Inuyasha had told him to treasure her before dying? Or was it when he had nursed her back to health without once calling her weak? Or was it when she had watched him save Shippou from the snake that had held him captive? She wasn't sure, but she knew that she loved him still the same. And she knew he loved her too. He might not have realized it, but he loved her too. That much she was certain of.

"Miko." She blinked at his intentional use of that word.

"What's wrong, Sesshoumaru?"

He only stared at her for a second before he turned to leave.

"Sesshoumaru?" He could hear the waver in her voice, and the renewed scent of tears. He couldn't stay. She made him act on impulses when his whole life had been about control. She made him do things that he had never done before. He could not decipher what it was that ran through him; it was new, and that frustrated as well as frightened him. He would leave now; he would never have to see her again. She would be fine without him, he knew. So, before the first tear fell from her eyes, he disappeared.

He found that he couldn't stop thinking about her. Three years since he had left her, he found his self falling deeper into disarray without her near, when he had lived his life without her before. He growled as he decided to set out. It was for his interest that she returned. He would have her return so he could continue his controlled life.

He found her playing with the kitsune on in a clearing. He knew she felt his presence when she asked Shippou to leave for home. She then turned to face him,

"Sesshoumaru-sama." The title sounded discomfited coming from her.

"Miko." Her eyes dulled.

_Kagome._

"Is there something that you need?" He could feel the spirit draining from her.

_So we're back to this._

"You." Never one to beat around the bush, his answer startled her.

"Me?"

_Are you going to admit it?_

He narrowed his eyes at her. Was there an echo?

"But I-"

_No, you won't._

"Come." She narrowed her eyes at his command.

_I need you._

"Why?"

_Please, don't break my heart._

"This Sesshoumaru is ordering you to."

_Because my life is crazy without you._

"When have I ever listened to you?"

_Please._

"You will start now."

_I need you._

"Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama."

_Yes. Sorry. Very sorry._

"I have someone who's waiting for me at the village."

_Last chance; please._

"Who?" Her eyes turned hopeful at the vehement question.

_Tell me so I can rip his throat out._

"Someone who loves me."

_Are you going to stop me_?

"Ah. And do you love him?"

_No. You love me!_

"…Does it matter?"

_I'm sorry. I can't hold this. I can't wait anymore._

She turned to leave him, her face blank, and he found he could not call her back. He watched her walk away, leaving him out of her life.

He watched and listened to the ceremony. She was smiling and for all appearances, happy. The human she was getting mated to was black-haired and brown-eyed.

Nothing special.

He felt something tearing at him when he saw them entering their hut.

He watched three boys run out of the hut before he descended from his perch on the tree to see her. She walked slowly from the hut as she sensed him.

She was as beautiful as thirteen years ago, if a little aged. Having watched her every night after his duties, he had seen her grow slowly.

Kagome stifled a gasp as she saw the unkempt appearance of one who she remembered as ethereally beautiful. His amber eyes were dull, and his hair was mussed. It had lost their shine. His clothing was faded and dirty. He looked nothing like when she had seen him thirteen years ago.

She had aged too. In her mid-thirties, she was still young in her terms, but old in this era. Her shoulder hurt as she walked, and she had to stop a grimace.

"Kagome." She faltered at his saying her name. It rolled off his tongue like the dew that collected on the trees.

"Sesshoumaru-sama."

_He stiffened at the use of his title. _

"When have you ever used my title?"

_Why are you so cold, Kagome?_

She tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Why have you come?"

_After thirteen years? After I got married?_

"I need no reason."

_To see you._

"Arrogant, as always." When she looked up, she stared to the side of his head as a sign of respect.

_Is there something you wanted to say? If you say it, I'd leave everything._

"Where is your husband?"

_Can I kill him?_

"Out in the fields."

_Stop it, Sesshoumaru._

"…are you happy?"

_You can't be. You are mine!_

"Yes."

_Please stop it._

"Does he love you?"

_I will kill him._

"Yes."

_Damn you, Sesshoumaru. _

"Do you love him?"

_You love me!_

"Yes."

_No._

"Then you are happy?"

_I'm going to take you away. You are mine!_

"Yes, I am." She doubled over to cough.

_Damn it all to hell. I love YOU!_

"Good-bye, Sesshoumaru." She straightened up and turned around.

_I loved you._

"Kagome!"

_I love you!_

He took a step towards her when she fell.

"Kagome!" He caught her and rushed inside the hut. He finally caught her scent, one that she had been concealing. Her own lilac scent was overpowered by the scent of death, and coagulating blood. She was dying.

He pulled off the side of her kimono to be met with the sight of a wound in her shoulder that was so badly infected that the disease had spread to her neck and other shoulder.

"Nnh." She opened her eyes to him. Sesshoumaru. Her husband rushed in.

"Na-" He shushed her before he noticed Sesshoumaru who had stood up when he came in.

"You must be Sesshoumaru-sama." He leant down to kiss Kagome's forehead with love shining in his wet eyes before he bowed to Sesshoumaru and left the hut.

Sesshoumaru stared a moment at the leaving human before he turned back to Kagome.

She coughed a bit before she opened her mouth to speak.

"He knows the truth."

Sesshoumaru was puzzled but he didn't let it show.

"I'm dying Sesshoumaru. You weren't supposed to be here. You can't be here. Please leave. Leave so he can come back and love me. I need someone to love me." She had tears running down her cheeks as she wheezed. She was delirious now. "The disease…poison reach heart. Reach brain too…Nnh…It hurts…" Her breathing became erratic. She closed her eyes as more tears ran down her face.

Sesshoumaru growled at her pain, and shifted. He felt his swords dig into his side…Tenseiga! The Tenseiga would be able to heal her! He pulled out the sword, willing it to listen to him. It remained unresponsive.

On the futon, Kagome bucked erratically as the pain turned worse. She felt herself slipping further away, and then she let herself go.

Sesshoumaru could feel her slipping away. He gripped the sword tighter in his hands as he willed it to respond. It didn't; and when he heard her stop breathing, he let out a roar. Then everything turned black.

What are you doing here- Startled, Sesshoumaru spun around. He took in a breathe when he realized it was Kagome in her younger years staring back at him. She had tears in her eyes.

What do you want- Sesshoumaru knew what he wanted, but he could not give voice to it.

Why do you continue to do this to me- Her scream was not of outrage but of frustration and sadness.

Why? After all these years? I was going to leave so I wouldn't have to cry again! But here you are! Why? Is it not enough you have my heart? Must you take my soul too? So I can never be happy even in my next life? Why- She fell to the floor sobbing and only then did he realize that there was a floor. In back of her stood the well. The well from which she had returned to him, only to have him leave her. It was disorienting to realize that this was where her soul lived, this memory of pain.

Kagome sobbed as the silence drew on. The sobs never subsided, but after an amount of time, she started calmly.

Leave. Leave, Sesshoumaru. Unless you have something to say to me, leave.- In her hands was a faintly glowing orb, an orb which she reabsorbed back into herself.

Leave-

The word echoed in his head before he snapped.

"I will NOT leave!"

She looked up at him, perhaps hopefully.

"You are mine!"

Why-

"Because you belong with me! Without you, my life is chaos." Desperate to get her back, he let her see his weakness.

Is that it-

"Is that it? Miko, that is my whole life!"

Then what a sad and lonely life it will be. I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I can't do this. I can't. I want someone to need me, want me, and love me! Is that to much to ask? Don't I deserve that much- She started sobbing brokenly, still on the floor. –Is it all true? Am I that worthless, that no one will want me? Even my husband is with meso he can have his heirs! He doesn't love me! No one loves me! Least of all you. Good-bye, Sesshoumaru.- He watched as soul-gatherers picked her up, and carried her away.

"I love you!" He screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

No words described his grief. So he continued screaming.

And woke up.

Sesshoumaru woke up, and for the first time in his life he was covered in cold-sweat. Tears ran down his face.

"No…"

Kagome would leave the morrow for a last trip through the well, the last time she would see her family.

She had refused to talk to anyone but him. Even her son, Shippou, had been sent back to Kaede's hut. After she had used his shoulder for a pillow and handkerchief fro hours, she had talked to him about her life. He had, in return, told her some things she didn't know about him. He had ended up putting her to sleep, but as he'd smiled down at her, it didn't seem so bad.

Then he had had that dream. And the only thing he wanted to do right now was confess his love. But she was tired. Perhaps he'd wait for sunrise?

But his other self had waited…and never told her. He cringed, visibly, at the thought of her leaving him. So he woke her. And told her, finally, how he felt.

Suffice to say, his dream was never forgotten.

Ady (my muse)is an evil guy! What can I say? I myself like these 'tiny ray of hope' stories…when I'm happy with life. When I'm down, these stories usually make me feel worse. So as we all can see, I'm pretty happy with life now. . although I don't think anyone would be happy with me for doing a one-shot and not my D/F story. -.- sorry. But make this poor author happy and review, so I can go work on my other story! . But since I think this story sucked anyways, you don't really have to review. XP


End file.
